Dividing strip



Dec. 16, 1930.

DIVIDING STRIP Filed April 17, 1930 R. w. HARDIE 1,785,028

INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES ROBERT w. HARDIE, F rANwooi), NEW JERSEY DIVIDING STiR-IP Application filed April 17,

' The invention has for its main object'to provide means for securing a dividing strip in the material forming a flooring, so as to prevent vertical displacement of the strip when in use, and also to prevent lateral displacement of the strip when a crack occurs in a flooring.

It is also one of the objects of the invention to provide means for setting dividing strips exactly in an underbed, so that the upper edge of the strips when set in the underbedwill define the level of the surface of the top layer of a flooring.

The foregoing and other objects of the in-v vention are accomplishedby themeans hereinafter described, and, illustrated in the [accompanying drawings, in'which'similar ref erence numerals indicate corresponding parts 7 throughout the several views.

It is to be understood, however, that changes, modifications and alterations may be made therein without departing from the invention.

In the drawings, which illustrate the invention in its preferred form- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a dividing strip embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 22 of the strip shown in Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the invention comprises a base strip 1, and a top strip 2. The base strip consists of a thin strip of brass or other metal having similar capabilities, and is provided with parallel upper and lower longitudinal edges.

The top strip 2 may be made any thickness desired independently of the thickness of the base strip 1, and is of special importance in enabling strips of unnecessary thickness for 49 dividing purposes to be dispensed with, and

the cost of producing the strips reduced thereby.

The upper surface 3 of the top strip is designed to lie in the plane of the finished surface of a flooring, and the strip may be readily bent to form patterns and designs in the flooring.

The top strip 2 has substantially flat parallel sides 4 and'5; the side 5 being extended 59 downward at its lower portion to form a 1930. Serial No. 445,025.

marginal reenforcing flange 6 extending be low the bottom 7 of the body of the top strip and greater in width than the vertical thickthe flange 6 is preferably of a thickness less than one half the widthof the upper surface of the top strip. i

The width of the bottom surface 7 of the. top strip enables the top strip to be used with base strips of various thickness when d sired, thereby reducing the cost of construction of the strip.

The inner surface of the flange 6 is flat, and when applied to the base strip 1 bears evenly against oneside of the upper margin of the base 'strip, and is secured to the base strip by means of studs or rivets 8 or other similar means, as shown in Fig. 2, with the upper edge of the base strip preferably bearing against the bottom 7 of the body of the top strip and with the side at of the top strip extending beyond one side of the base strip i 1 if so desired. 7

The flange 6 reinforces the upper portion of the base strip, thereby enabling basestrips of the narrowest gauge possible to be used, and also enabling strips of less expensive so metal to be used in place of brass,such as zinc, that would not otherwise be strong and firm enough to be satisfactorily usedrfor the purpose described herein;

The strip is provided with anchor segment 9 inclined transversely of thebody of the strip from base lines located between one of the outer longitudinal edges and the central longitudinal line of the strip, and provided with ends 10 offset horizontally from the body of the segments.

By cutting and pressing the anchor segments outwardly from the body of the base strip, an inner longitudinal edge 11 is provided which of itself constitutes an anchor 9 element.

Dividing strips of the class herein described are applied to the underbed of a terrazzo flooring before the material forming the underbed has firmly set;

The lower edge of the strips is pressed into the underbed until the portion of the strip remaining above the surface of the underbed equals the thickness desired for the top layer.

After the underbed has sufliciently set, the material forming the top layer is applied in a semi-liquid condition to the upper surface of the underbed, and that material flows into the openings in the base strip made by cutting and pressing out the anchor segments, and covers the longitudinal inner edge 11.

When the top layer is hardened and ground and in use, the inner edge 11 and the anchor segments hold the strips firmly in place and prevent vertical displacement of the strip.

One of the functions of dividing strips used in terrazzo floorings is to localize cracks when they occur and cause the cracks to form along the side of the strips as the path of least resistance.

lVhile cracks generally form along the side of the strips the same crack will often form partly on one side and partly on the other side of a strip, and a torsional strain is exerted on the strips and the strips become distorted at their upper edge and present a very objectionable appearance.

The anchor segments shown and described herein prevent such undesirable results.

They notonly prevent vertical displacement of the strip, but also lateral displacement by means of the ofiset ends 10 which bind the strip laterally against the side of the section of the flooring in which they are em- I bedded, and prevent the upper edge of the strip from becoming bent laterally or distorted.

Dividing strips of the class described are generally inserted in an underbed by means of long setting bars having a slit or groove that receives the upper edge of the strip.

The setting bars have one side or a gauge that is designed to come in contact with the upper surface of the underbed and limit the penetration of the lower portion of the strip in the underbed, and leave above the surface of the underbed a portion of the strip equal in width to the thickness desired for the top layer.

In layin terrazzo floorings short pieces are required to be used as cross pieces, too small to be conveniently set by the long gauges which in such cases are frequently di carded by the workmen and the strips inaccurately set.

Long strips are also frequently set by the workmen in that manner.

In order to enable dividing strips to be accurately set without the use of a setting bar, sight gauges are provided in the strip shown herein, consisting in cutting out portions of the material of the strip as shown by the opening 12 of Fig. 1 of the drawings having inclined edges meeting at a point 13 which is arranged on a line at a distance from the upper edge of the strip corresponding with the desired thickness of the top layer. The lower half of the strip is pressed or tamped into the underbed until the points 13 of the sight gauge register with the upper surface of the underbed.

In the construction shown herein the anchor segments are arranged as single elements, and only on the upper half of the strip.

The anchor segments may also be formed on the lower half of the strip or on both the upper half and the lower half if so desired.

What I claim is:

1. A dividing strip for use in terrazzo and similar floorings, having a longitudinal series of anchor segments inclined transversely of the body of the strip from bases located be tween an outer edge and the central longi tudinal line of the strip forming an inner retaining edge opposite the free ends of the anchor segments and provided with ends ofiset laterally from the body of the segments.

2. A dividing strip for terrazzo and similar floorings having parts cut away from the body of the strip to form openings having a longitudinally extending retaining edge and anchor segments within the boundary of the openings inclined transversely of the body of the strip from bases located between an outer edge and the central longitudinal line of the strip, and provided with ends offset laterally from the body of the segments.

ROBERT l/V. HARDIE. 

